This week on the Minneapolis Roundup, host Alex dives into the buzz around The Forager’s Hearth, a new hyper-local Nordic restaurant in the North Loop that’s quickly becoming the toughest reservation in town. Discover how Northstar Outfitters is revolutionizing outdoor retail with its new AR "Backyard Basecamp" app feature, and get ready for the magical Midtown Greenway Glow Up art and light festival happening May 1st and 2nd. This episode covers the best food, innovative local businesses, and can't-miss events across the Twin Cities.

Key Highlights:

• The Forager’s Hearth, a new hyper-local modern Nordic restaurant, has opened in the North Loop, offering dishes sourced within a 50-mile radius.

• Northstar Outfitters in Linden Hills launched an innovative augmented reality (AR) feature in their mobile app called "Backyard Basecamp" for visualizing gear.

• The Midtown Greenway Glow Up, an open-air art and light festival, will transform the Greenway from May 1st to 2nd with light sculptures, projections, and live music.

• Host Alex also highlights local sponsors mplsveganhub.com for plant-based dining and mncannabishub.com for Minnesota cannabis culture and events.

Topics: Minneapolis Roundup, The Forager's Hearth, Northstar Outfitters, Midtown Greenway Glow Up, Augmented Reality, AR app, local businesses, modern Nordic cuisine, foraging, Minneapolis events, mplsveganhub.com, mncannabishub.com

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TRANSCRIPT

(SOUND of upbeat, indie-pop intro music that feels like a sunny Minneapolis day. Music fades slightly to bed under the host's voice.)

HOST: Hello, hello, and welcome back to the Minneapolis Roundup! It’s your host, Alex, coming to you on a beautiful Friday, April 24th, 2026. The last of the stubborn snow piles have finally melted, the lakes are officially ice-out, and there’s that specific, hopeful energy buzzing all over the Twin Cities.

This is your weekly dose of what’s new, what’s next, and what’s happening right now in Minneapolis and St. Paul. We’ve got you covered on the best food, the smartest local businesses, and the can’t-miss events.

And we can’t do it without our amazing sponsors. The Minneapolis Roundup is proudly brought to you by the teams at mplsveganhub.com and mncannabishub.com. More on them in a bit.

Alright, let's get into it.

(SOUND of a gentle, short transition swoosh)

### Food & Dining (2 minutes)

HOST: First up, let’s talk food. The North Loop has a new contender for the toughest reservation in town, and it’s called The Forager’s Hearth. It just opened two weeks ago in that gorgeous brick building on 3rd Avenue, and folks, the hype is real.

The concept is hyper-local, modern Nordic cuisine. And when I say hyper-local, I mean it. Chef Lena Halvorson, who you might remember from her wildly successful pop-ups, has a mission: everything on the plate is sourced, farmed, or foraged from within a 50-mile radius of the restaurant.

This isn’t just your standard farm-to-table. We’re talking wild ramp pesto, cattail shoots, morel mushrooms gathered that morning, and smoked trout from a lake just north of the cities. The star of the menu right now is a pan-seared walleye served on a bed of wild rice pilaf with a sunchoke puree and pickled fiddlehead ferns. It tastes like a perfect Minnesota spring evening.

The space itself is stunning—minimalist, with tons of natural wood, warm lighting, and a massive open kitchen where you can see the team working their magic. It’s an experience.

Now, getting a table is a challenge, but they reserve their patio for walk-ins. So my advice? Get there early, put your name down, and grab a drink nearby. It is absolutely worth the wait.

And of course, while The Forager’s Hearth has some incredible vegetarian options, if you're looking for a comprehensive guide to the best plant-based dining across the cities, you have to check out our sponsor, mplsveganhub.com. They’ve got reviews, maps, and guides to everything from vegan donuts to fine dining.

(SOUND of a gentle, short transition swoosh)

### Business & Marketing (2 minutes)

HOST: Okay, let's shift from the plate to the storefront. This week’s business spotlight goes to a local classic that’s making some seriously innovative moves: Northstar Outfitters.

You know them—they’ve been the go-to spot for camping gear, canoes, and cozy flannels in Linden Hills for decades. They’re a true Minneapolis institution. But in a world of big-box stores and online giants, they just pulled off a marketing masterstroke.

Last month, Northstar Outfitters launched a new feature in their mobile app that uses augmented reality, or AR, to help you shop. They call it the "Backyard Basecamp" feature.

Here’s how it works: Thinking of buying a new four-person tent? Instead of guessing the size, you can use your phone’s camera to place a true-to-scale 3D model of that exact tent right in your backyard. You can walk around it, look inside, and see exactly how much space it takes up. It works for everything—kayaks on your car rack, a new fire pit on your patio, even a portable cooler in the trunk of your car.

It’s brilliant. It solves a huge problem for online shoppers—visualizing bulky, expensive items. The launch generated a ton of buzz on social media, with people sharing videos of virtual canoes in their living rooms. It’s fun, it’s useful, and it beautifully connects their physical store to the digital world. It’s a fantastic example of a beloved local business not just surviving, but thriving by thinking ahead. We absolutely love to see it.

(SOUND of a gentle, short transition swoosh)

### Events (1.5 minutes)

HOST: Alright, you’ve got your dinner plans, you’ve seen the future of retail, now what are you doing next weekend? If you don’t have an answer, I’ve got one for you: the Midtown Greenway Glow Up.

It’s happening next Friday and Saturday night, May 1st and 2nd. The entire stretch of the Midtown Greenway from the lakes to the river will be transformed into a massive, open-air art and light festival.

Local artists are installing incredible light sculptures, video projections will be dancing across the old grain silos near Hiawatha, and there will be pop-up stages with live music and DJs set up at major intersections. The hub of the event is right by the Freewheel Bike Shop, where they’ll have a fleet of food trucks—we’re talking everything from gourmet grilled cheese to Somali street food.

It’s one of my favorite events of the year. It encourages everyone to get out, walk, bike, and experience a familiar part of our city in a completely new and magical way. It’s free, it’s for all ages, and it’s the perfect way to celebrate the arrival of warmer nights. So bundle up, grab your bike or a good pair of walking shoes, and I’ll see you out there.

And for those of you looking for other unique, 21-plus happenings around town, or just want to stay in the loop on Minnesota's evolving cannabis scene, our friends at mncannabishub.com are your ultimate resource. They’ve got event listings, dispensary maps, and the latest news.

(SOUND of a gentle, short transition swoosh)

### Outro (30 seconds)

HOST: And that is our time for this week! From the incredible foraged flavors at The Forager’s Hearth, to Northstar Outfitters’ slick AR app, and the magical Midtown Greenway Glow Up—there is so much to love about this city.

The Minneapolis Roundup is brought to you by our fantastic sponsors. For all your plant-based food needs, visit mplsveganhub.com. And for the latest on Minnesota cannabis culture and events, check out mncannabishub.com.

I’m your host, Alex. Get out there and enjoy this beautiful spring weekend. We’ll catch you next week.

(SOUND of upbeat, indie-pop outro music swells to finish.)